Traditionally, bread is always baked. But that in itself presents a few problems here in the Philippines. First, you have to have an oven - not everyone has an oven, and ovens are quite expensive. Even if you do, you spend so much in power that it's a lot cheaper buying a store bread.

Here's a recipe that uses what nearly everyone has - a wok, frying pan or casserole (with lid). Also, because it's a stove-top method at super low heat, you save on fuel and cost. Use a non-stick pan that's big enough to hold the dough when its has expanded.

Ingredients: (one big loaf)

1 cup water

3 cups flour

1 tbsp yeast

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

2 tbsps oil

Preparation

on the same pot you'll be using to cook the bread, warm the cup of water (not hot! you'll kill the yeast)

add 1 cup sifted flour, yeast and sugar

mix until well blended, ideally using a whisk

put cover on, leave at room temperature and wait 1 hour until you see the mixture increase in size. This is the first rising. It should be foaming - that's the sponge

add the remaining 2 cups of flour, 1 tbsp oil and salt

knead the mixture into a dough. How to knead? Refer to this YouTube video

you can stop kneading when the dough returns to its shape when you press on it

put cover on, leave at room temperature and wait 1 hour until you see the mixture double in size. This is the 2nd rising

press on the dough to squeeze out the air and roll it applying pressure to further rid of the air

leave the dough inside the wok and pour the remaining 1 tbsp of oil on top of the dough

put cover on, leave at room temperature and wait 1 hour until you see the mixture double in size. This is the 3rd and last rising

put the pan on the stove on high heat for 1 minute, then on extra-low for 30 minutes with the cover on

flip the dough, return the cover and continue cooking for another 20 minutes

remove the cover and continue cooking for 10 more minutes

yRemove the bread immediately from the pan and let it cool for 10 minutes on top of a strainer

enjoy the bread while it's warm!

VerdictMaking bread is NOT as difficult as most people think. Once you start making your own bread, it would be difficult to appreciate store-bought bread. With practice, you can start experimenting like adding whole grains, nuts, raisins, or aromatic herbs.

--- TheLoneRider

Tips:

for dough consistency, the trick is to make it as soft as possible without being sticky. Add water or flour accordingly.

you can use beer instead of water

you can use a ratio of 1 cup whole wheat flour and 2 cups regular flour

you can use honey or muscovado sugar instead of regular sugar

if you're using a wide pan, like a wide deep wok, you can do the kneading inside the wok

putting the bread on a strainer promotes circulation of air below, so the bread doesn't get soggy